Dodging Obstacles
by I'mNotYourAngel
Summary: Clace as roommates story. Mundane AU.
1. Chapter 1

"Claryyy..." Jace whined, leaning his head against the bathroom door as he knocked. "Hurry uuup..."

"I literally just got in, Jace!" Clary's voice was amused.

"But I'm gonna be late!"

"Then you should have gotten up earlier! Use the downstairs bathroom."

The house had two bathrooms, each with a shower, but for some reason, they always just used the upstairs one.

"Magnus is using that one. He takes longer than you do," he complained, scowling slightly when he heard Clary laugh at that.

"Tough, you're just gonna have to wait then."

Jace growled at that. He had to leave soon if he wanted to beat traffic. Shaking his head, he opened the bathroom door, stripping out of his sweats and pulling the curtain open.

"Move over," he grumbled, ignoring the surprised look on Clary's face as he stepped into the shower with her.

"Sure, come on in," she quipped, not really bothered by the situation. She and Jace had lived together for close to three years now, so it was far from the first time they'd seen each other naked.

"That or go to work without showering," he shrugged, wetting his hair and scrubbing shampoo through the golden strands.

Clary leaned back against the shower wall, an amused smirk on her lips as she let her gaze linger on his defined abs. She wasn't blind. She knew her roommate was gorgeous and she'd be lying if she said she'd never thought about sleeping with him.

"So why exactly is Magnus in the downstairs shower?" she asked as she combed conditioner through her hair.

"He and Alec crashed in the guest room. I guess they went out for drinks and didn't feel comfortable driving home."

"Ah," she nodded. Since they lived closest to the bar their group of friends liked to hang out at, their house was a frequent crash site.

"Okay, scoot, I need to rinse," Clary bumped him out of the way with her hip, closing her eyes and tipping her head back under the faucet.

Jace shamelessly raked his eyes over Clary's naked body, not caring if she caught him, he knew she wouldn't care. Sure enough, when his gaze reached her face again, her eyes were open and she was smirking at him.

"Something I can do for you?" she quipped playfully, biting her lower lip.

Jace took a step closer to her, returning her smirk as her breath hitched audibly.

"Yeah, actually..." he said softly, locking his eyes with hers as he took another step closer. Her lips parted as he leaned closer.

"Can you pass me the body wash?" he whispered, grinning.

Clary exhaled a harsh laugh, pushing lightly at his chest before turning and grabbing the bottle he wanted, tossing it toward him and shaking her head amused as she moved to step out of the shower.

"Was it something I said?" Jace quipped, grinning laviciously as he soaped up his chest, slower and more thoroughly than necessary.

"You're an idiot," she laughed as she wrapped a towel around herself.

"You love me," he stuck his head around the curtain and winked at her.

"It's my biggest character flaw," she called out as she left the bathroom.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, how does this look?"

Clary lifted her head from the sketch she was working on and gave Isabelle her full attention, taking in the red mini dress she was wearing.

"Isn't this a work dinner, Iz?"

Isabelle pursed her lips as she scrutinized her reflection for a moment before adjusting the neckline so it showed off more cleavage.

"How about now?"

Clary just snorted and shook her head.

"What? I _really_ want this promotion..."

"Izzy, you're more than qualified for that promotion and you totally deserve it. You don't have to lower yourself to sleeping with your boss for perks," she made a face as she returned her attention to her sketchbook.

"Ew! I'm not gonna _sleep_ with him, Clary! But if showing a little skin gets me what I want, I'm okay with that. Besides, Meliorn is a total sleaze, he hires interns based on their bra size. I'm not taking any chances."

Clary shrugged, not looking up from the pad she was scribbling on.

"And how does Simon feel about that?"

"Simon knows that I only have eyes for him and would never presume to tell me how I can or can't dress," Isabelle scoffed.

"Fair enough," Clary sighed, finally looking up at her. "I just worry..."

Isabelle's gaze dropped and her lips tightened. It wasn't so long ago that Clary _had a _real reason to worry so she understood where the redhead was coming from, but she didn't like thinking about it.

"Hey..."

Clary crossed the room to stand beside Isabelle, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I love you," she said softly, leaning into her as their eyes met in the mirror. "I just want you safe."

"I know," Isabelle sighed, turning toward her and hugging her tightly. "But we won't be alone, the whole department is gonna be there. I'll even sit by Kaelie and Seelie and pretend that I don't know they call me a whore behind my back." She grinned brightly as Clary snorted and hugged her tighter.

"I don't think you need to go _that_ far," she laughed as she pulled back. "But promise you'll call me or Si for a ride if you drink. I don't want you taking a cab."

"Yes, _mom,"_ Isabelle snarked, but she had a smile on her face. She moved to her closet, pulling out a pair of strappy heels and sitting on the edge of her bed to fasten them. Her eyes fell on Clary's sketchbook, still sitting open on top of the duvet.

"Something you wanna talk about?" She quipped, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

Clary's face heated up as she snatched up the sketchbook, flipping it closed and shoving it back into her purse.

"It's nothing," she said quickly. "Just doodling."

"Uh-huh," Isabelle rolled her eyes. "That's a pretty detailed doodle."

Clary's blush reached her neck. She'd been drawing Jace a lot since he'd gotten in the shower with her last week and this particular sketch had been rather... graphic.

"I didn't sleep with him," she rushed out, not meeting Isabelle's eyes.

"Obviously," she snorted. "Pretty sure I would have been the first to know about that. Besides the two of you, of course..."

She laughed as she dodged the hairbrush Clary threw at her, returning her focus to her shoes.

"Seriously, though," she continued as she finished buckling the strap. "When are you gonna make a move?"

"Pretty sure hooking up with my roommate is a terrible idea."

"Don't pretend you haven't thought about it."

Clary just shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Iz..."

Isabelle leveled an unimpressed look at the redhead.

"Clare," she said with exaggerated patience. "I've known you since middle school. I know your crush face, remember?"

"I do not have a _crush_ on Jace!" Clary exclaimed, laughing.

"No, you're right. It's more than that."

Clary sputtered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jace and I are just friends..."

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter, Clarissa."

"Ooh, the full name. Am I in trouble?" Clary snarked.

Isabelle sighed.

"Look..." she said gently.

"Please don't, Iz..." Clary groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

Isabelle pressed her lips together stonily but stayed quiet. Clary was in denial, but she understood why even if she didn't approve.

"I just can't..."

"I know," Isabelle interrupted. "I'll drop it."

Clary sighed shortly.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"I get it," Isabelle cut her off gently, smiling. "I just want you to be happy, Clare... It's been over a year..."

"I know," Clary nodded curtly. "I'm just not ready."

"Are you sure? Cuz those drawings kinda say otherwise..."

Clary shot her a look and she held her hands up in surrender.

"Okay, sorry. Dropping it."

Clary exhaled heavily through her nose as Isabelle moved to her vanity to touch up her makeup.

"I'm attracted to him," she said quietly.

Isabelle didn't respond, letting Clary go at her own pace.

"It's not new, I have eyes, obviously I know he's hot. But lately..." she broke off, shaking her head. "I just can't deal with it right now."

"With being attracted to him or that it might be something more?" Isabelle asked softly.

"I don't know... Both?"

Isabelle froze. This was the first time she'd heard Clary openly acknowledge any sort of romantic feelings in a long time. She turned around in her seat to look at Clary and saw her sitting on the edge of the mattress, silent tears dripping down her face.

"Oh, Clare," she whispered, moving to sit next to her and wrap her in a hug. The tiny girl seemed so much smaller than usual, curling in on herself as she cried on Isabelle's shoulder.

"Why do you let him do this to you?" she murmured as she rubbed Clary's back. "He's not worth it, Clare, you deserve so much better..."

Clary sniffled, wiping her face as she pulled away.

"Izzy, your dress..."

"Don't change the subj- oh..." Isabelle started as she looked down at her dress. There was a large stain where Clary had been crying.

"Sorry..." she said a bit sheepishly.

"I don't care about the dress, Clare. I care about you. Please tell me you haven't spoken to him..."

"He hasn't called me in weeks..." Clary grumbled, ducking her head as she blushed.

"Not what I asked, but good enough. If he does..."

"Yeah, yeah, don't pick up, I know..."

"What you _should_ do is block his number," Isabelle griped, taking in the slightly panicked look on her best friends face. "But I _know_ you're not ready to do that, and I can't force you to be. Just... Please be smart, Clary... You're not the only one who worries."

"I know," Clary sniffed, wiping her eyes one more time before leaning in for another hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now let me go find another dress to wear since you snotted all over this one."

Clary let out a watery laugh as she pulled back, pulling her phone out of her bag and opening the camera application to check her mascara. The red bubble hovering over her call icon told her she had a missed call and she tapped it to open the notification, her heart dropping into her stomach as she read the name that popped up on her screen.

"Okay, how's this?"

Clary's head shot up as Isabelle stepped out of her closet again, this time wearing a black dress that covered even less skin than the previous one.

"Hot," she smirked. "Simon is one lucky dude."

Isabelle winked and strode over to the door to grab her purse and jacket.

"What's up?" she asked, nodding to Clary's phone still clutched against her chest.

"My mom wants me to come over for dinner," Clary lied quickly, suppressing a sharp twinge of guilt.

"Tell Jocelyn I say hi and I miss her," Isabelle smiled, not suspecting anything.

Clary nodded numbly, standing and following Isabelle down the stairs and out her front door. They hugged goodbye before getting into their respective cars and driving in opposite directions. To her credit, she lasted the entire drive home without checking her phone, but once she pulled into the driveway, she caved.

Another missed call.

Clary bit her lip. She'd promised Isabelle she wouldn't pick up if he called, made easier by the fact that she didn't know he was calling, but now... Now she was tempted.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she hit redial and brought the phone to her ear. Her heart stopped when she heard the line click as he picked up.

"Hey, Clarebear..." his deep voice drawled confidently, as though he knew she'd call him back.

She exhaled heavily.

_"Sebastian..."_


	3. Chapter 3

Clary growled as she dropped the pencil she was gripping and pushed her hands through her hair. She'd been working on the same illustration for over two hours now, her desk littered with ripped and crumpled rejects, but her head was cluttered with thoughts of Sebastian.

It'd been just over a week since he'd called her and she'd been texting him almost every day since. He'd tried to get her to meet up with him but she'd managed to stay firm on that front. She wasn't ready to see him.

Giving up on work, she shoved her chair away from the desk, rolling her neck and wincing as a pain in her shoulder flared up.

"Shoulder muscle again?"

She turned her head to see Jace leaning against the door with a concerned look on his face.

"It's fine," she shrugged then winced again, immediately regretting the motion. "I was hunched over for too long."

"You're supposed to be resting it," Jace's voice was disapproving as he stepped closer to her, moving her long hair to the side and firmly running his thumbs in small circles over the rather large knot near the base of her neck.

She moaned softly and let her head fall forward, his strong hands working out the tension in her shoulders.

"How's that?" he chuckled as she melted under his touch.

"You're an _angel,_ you know that?" she groaned, pulling her legs up and leaning back against his chest as his hands moved up and trailed light, tickling touches up and down her neck until she was practically purring.

Jace smiled fondly at her as she curled up in the large chair, tilting her head further to the side when he hit a spot on her neck she particularly enjoyed.

_"And_ I ordered pizza," he informed her in a teasing tone, chuckling at her exaggerated gasp as she tilted her head back to beam at him. "Pepperoni and mushroom."

"Seriously, what did I do to deserve you?" she sighed happily.

"I'm assuming it had something to do with selling your soul, otherwise your luck is out of this world," he smirked as he dropped onto the couch across from her, dragging her wheeled chair closer with his foot as she tossed her head back and laughed.

"You think highly of yourself, don't you?" she giggled, planting her feet on the floor and resting her elbows on her knees.

"Don't you?" he challenged her, leaning forward so they were face to face.

"I do," she said softly, holding eye contact.

He'd been teasing but something had compelled Clary to answer seriously. Jace was important to her. She didn't want to joke about that right now.

"Clare..." he whispered, thrown by her sudden seriousness.

They both held their breath as time seemed to slow around them. His hand moved to her knee, pulling her even closer. Her breath hitched as he laced his fingers with hers, tugging her gently until she slid off the chair and into his lap, her knees settling on either side of him.

"Jace..." Clary sighed, her eyes fluttering shut as Jace's fingers grazed her jaw. She wanted this. She wanted so badly to just lose herself in him.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Jace's whisper cut through her. Her eyes snapped open.

"I-"

A loud buzz sounded through the house, jolting them apart. Clary scrambled backward off Jace's lap, chest heaving as she tried to avoid his gaze.

"The pizza," Jace said unnecessarily as he stood. Clary just nodded, still not looking at him as he slowly turned and shuffled out of the room.

Clary exhaled heavily as she heard him making small talk with the pizza guy, winding her fingers through her hair as she quickly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, swinging the door shut behind her and dropping onto the mattress.

"What did you _do?"_ she muttered angrily, pounding her fist into a pillow repeatedly before just shoving it off the bed when it failed to make her feel better.

She jumped slightly when her phone began to ring, almost laughing when she saw Sebastian's name flashing on the screen.

"Sebastian," she answered bitterly.

"You alright, Clare?" his tone sounded genuinely concerned. "You sound upset."

"Nothing you need to worry about," she sighed. "What's up?"

"Just checking in. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Sebastian. Just... frustrated."

He chuckled lowly and she immediately regretted not using a different word.

"I mean annoyed, it's just... work stuff," she amended lamely.

"You're sure, Clare? Cause I can think of a few ways to _relax_ you," he practically purred.

Clary squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the heat pooling in her belly. It felt wrong to let Sebastian be the one to ease her arousal when Jace was the one who'd gotten her worked up. And with that thought, the heat flared. She cursed under her breath, pressing her palm between her thighs.

"Come meet me," he whispered.

"I... that's not a good idea," she said shakily.

"How come?"

"We can't do this, Sebastian," she pleaded, hoping against hope he wouldn't push. But of course, he would. Pushing was what Sebastian Verlac did best.

"Tell me why. Explain it to me."

"I just... I can't, Sebastian, I'm sorry... I need to be on my own for a while."

"You're not equipped to be alone, Clare. You and I both know it. And there's nothing wrong with that, I can take care of you. Let me take care of you, baby..."

Clary squeezed her eyes shut.

"Look, we can just talk," he coaxed gently. "I think we're long overdue for that, at least..."

She'd forgotten how convincing Sebastian could be. For as long as she'd known him, he'd been capable of making her cede to his every wish.

It had been Jace who'd originally brought her attention to it. He'd been present for a phone call during which Sebastian had demanded that she come pick him up because he'd gotten a flat tire even though she was at work. She was about to get up to find her manager when he'd spoken up.

_"You can say no, you know?"_

_Clary turned in her desk chair to look at him. She'd worked at the library with Jace Wayland since her sophomore year but they'd never really spoken before._

_"Excuse me?" she asked._

_"You can say no. You don't have to do as he says."_

_"He has a flat tire, he needs a ride. And I'm sorry, how is it your business?"_

_"So there's no one else he can call for a ride?" Jace pressed, ignoring the second part of her statement._

_Clary scoffed, stunned at the audacity of this near-perfect stranger._

_"I'm his girlfriend. I should be there for him, he'd do the same for me."_

_"You didn't answer my question. Is there no one else he could call? Someone who didn't already have a prior engagement?"_

_Clary rolled her eyes and didn't reply._

_"I'm just saying. You don't have to drop everything to make this guy's life a bit easier, especially when it makes yours harder."_

"Clare?" Sebastian's voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Fine," she heard herself saying. "Just to talk."

"Of course," Sebastian's voice was amused, placating. "Our place?"

"Yeah, see you there," she said quickly, hanging up the phone and tossing it aside.

Taking a deep breath, Clary pushed herself off the bed, walking over to her closet to get dressed. She wrinkled her nose as she caught her reflection in the mirror and decided to take a quick shower first. She grabbed a towel from the hall closet and quickly undressed as she waited for the water to warm up before stepping in.

Clary closed her eyes as the hot water washed over her, further easing the soreness of the muscle Jace had been working on earlier. She poured some body wash onto her bath pouf and slowly started massaging the sweet-smelling soap into her skin as her thoughts lingered on Jace, remembering the shower they'd taken together, how the sudsy water had looked running over his chiseled torso.

"Shit," she huffed as her slippery fingers found her nipple, pinching tightly as she tugged on it, her head falling back against the tile wall.

The pouf slipped from her other hand, forgotten, as she bent her knees, spreading her thighs slightly.

_"Jace,"_ she sighed softly as she gently stroked her clit, too wound up to bother teasing herself, already close to the edge.

"Oh fuck," she whimpered, hips jerking as her orgasm approached rapidly. Her vision went white as she came hard on her fingers, moaning and gasping as she rode it out.

When she came to, she realized she was crouched down on the shower floor. Her knees trembled as she pushed herself back into a standing position, leaning her head against the wall as she caught her breath.

_"Fuck..."_ she whispered as she blindly felt for the faucet, turning off the water and stepping out of the tub on still shaky legs. She wrapped her towel around herself and crossed the hall back to her bedroom, not noticing Jace's door sliding shut as she did.


	4. Chapter 4

Clary took a deep breath as she put her car in park, her hands trembling slightly as she smoothed her hair back. She glanced at the clock on her dashboard.

_6:53 pm._

She was meeting Sebastian at seven. She took another steeling breath before unbuckling her seatbelt, a sudden tap on her window making her jump.

"Clare!" Sebastian was grinning, holding two Starbucks cups.

Clary swallowed hard as she turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car.

"Sorry, I saw you pull in as I was walking out. I didn't mean to startle you." He held out one of the cups. "Hot chocolate. I know you don't like to drink caffeine after six."

Clary accepted the cup with a grateful smile, surprised he'd remembered that tiny detail about her.

"Do you wanna walk? I don't really feel like sitting inside right now," he asked, gesturing towards the coffee shop where they'd originally planned to meet.

"Um," Clary glanced around the shopping center, the early evening lamps casting a soft glow. "Yeah, a walk sounds nice."

They wandered aimlessly for a while, sipping their drinks and admiring the decorated storefronts.

"So," Clary cleared her throat to break the silence. "How've you been? How's Aline?"

Sebastian launched into speech, his face glowing with pride as he boasted about his cousin who'd he'd always seen as a little sister. Clary smiled as they made their way to a small bench. _This_ was the Sebastian she fell in love with when she was 18. She was glad to see the parts she'd loved were still there.

"And now that I've performed a bloody monologue, how have you been?" Sebastian ducked his head bashfully.

Clary just laughed.

"It's fine, I asked. And not too much has changed, honestly. Work, parents, friends..." she trailed off with a shrug.

"What about school?" he prodded.

"I... graduated. Last spring," she said softly, not making eye contact. She didn't want to discuss why he hadn't been present.

"Right," Sebastian's jaw tightened slightly. "Well, I'm sorry I missed it."

Clary just nodded, bringing her empty cup to her lips just for an excuse not to reply.

"I never apologized for all that shit last year," Sebastian said haltingly.

Clary glanced up, surprised.

"Sure, you did," she said.

"No," he huffed, meeting her gaze. "Not really. Clare, I was such a shitty person to you, you didn't deserve that. I'm so sorry."

Clary shifted uncomfortably on the bench. She knew they needed to talk about what happened, but she didn't want to talk about _that._

"It's in the past, Sebastian," she forced a smile. "You don't have to apologize."

She was relieved when he nodded gruffly and dropped it. She opened her mouth to continue when he suddenly interrupted.

"I've missed you, Clare. I've really missed you."

Clary stiffened as he took her hand in his, winding their fingers together. It reminded her of Jace doing the same thing earlier that evening in her office and she suddenly felt queasy.

"Sebastian..." she started, pulling her hand back. "We can't."

"Can't what?" he asked, smirking.

_"This,_ Sebastian, us... It's over," she stated as flatly as she could.

"Is that so?" Sebastian sounded amused. "It's never really over with us, Clare..."

"Don't," she said sharply.

His eyes widened with amusement.

"I need you to hear me..." she tried again.

"Hear _me,_ Clarissa," Sebastian cut her off, taking her hand again and holding it tightly. "I love you. I won't let you go."

Clary glanced around, cursing the lack of people in the shopping center this time of evening.

"Sebastian..."

"I _love_ you, Clare!"

"No, you don't!" she snapped, startling him into loosening his grip so she could pull her hand free. "You don't love me, Sebastian, you loved having me at your beck and call, always under your thumb. And more importantly, I don't love _you."_

She startled a little at the realization that what she was saying was true. She _didn't_ love Sebastian anymore.

"So please, just stop," she finished as she stood and quickly walked away, not looking back until she got to her car.

She fumbled with her keys slightly as she saw him standing in the shadows behind the building, staring at her coldly. She swallowed hard and climbed into her car, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot in a hurry, not even pausing to turn on her radio like she usually did.

Clary took deep, calming breaths the whole drive home. Izzy had been right. She should have just blocked him. She thought she'd needed the closure of saying it to his face but she should have known better. Sebastian was too manipulative to let that happen cleanly.

Her heart was still racing when she pulled into her driveway. She shut off the ignition and slumped in her seat, closing her eyes as she lamented every choice that led her to leave the house tonight. Sighing forlornly, she pushed the car door open, trudging up the front steps and putting her key in the lock. She stopped short when she stepped into the front room, seeing Jace waiting for her on the couch.

"We need to talk," he said seriously.


	5. Chapter 5

Jace wasn't quite sure how this had happened. One second they'd been joking around in their usual manner, and then something had just... shifted, and suddenly Clary was in his lap. He was tempted to pinch himself, sure this was too good to be true. But then she'd sighed his name and he decided his mind couldn't possibly conjure up something that perfect on its own.

Her emerald eyes shined with desire as she stared at him, her breath hitching as he traced her jaw.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked. She seemed hesitant, nervous, and while he thought he understood why, he didn't want to overwhelm her.

He nearly bit his damn tongue off when the doorbell rang, cursing the horrible timing as Clary slipped out of his grasp. He missed the feel of her instantly. He watched as she put distance between them, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt and pointedly not looking at him. He swallowed hard. That answered that question.

"The pizza..." he said, gesturing lamely as he stood, shuffling out of the room and shaking his head at his own stupidity.

He made inane small talk with the pizza guy, feeling his stomach dip when he noticed her slip up the stairs and hoping like hell he hadn't just ruined their friendship. He accepted his change and thanked the guy as he handed over the pizza, though he was pretty sure neither of them had an appetite any longer.

He set the box on the kitchen counter, sighing and pushing his hands through his hair, wishing he just knew what Clary was thinking.

_Only one way to know for sure,_ he thought as he made his way up the stairs.

He was halfway to her room when he heard the shower running. His mind flashed back to the shower he'd barged in on. Somehow he doubted that would be a welcome action now. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock, freezing when he heard his name.

Slowly, he lowered his hand, leaning in closer and listening hard.

_"Oh fuck..."_

Jace's eyes widened. She was masturbating? To _him?_

He was already half-hard from the memories of her naked in the shower, but hearing her moan his name had him completely stiff. He gripped himself through his jeans and groaned quietly as her cries got louder as she apparently orgasmed. His head jerked up as he heard the shower turn off, backing up and hurrying to his room, slipping inside and closing his door just as she exited the bathroom.

He exhaled heavily as he flopped back onto his head, his heart pounding and his cock throbbing. Cursing, he shoved his hand down the front of his pants, gripping his aching member and giving it quick strokes, eager for his release. He thought of the feel of her in his lap, the desire shining in her eyes and the absolute conviction in her voice when she'd confirmed how much she thought of him, how much he meant to her; her impish smile as she pushed her wet hair off her shoulders, droplets over water sliding down her naked chest to her perky breasts, her nipples stiffened into hard little nubs.

He shoved his fist against his mouth and groaned. _God,_ the things he wanted to do to her, the pleasure he wanted to give her...

_"Jace..."_

He moaned as he imagined her eyes rolling back in her head, the look of rapture on her face as he closes his lips around one of those sensitive nipples, how she'd tug on his hair and cry out his name. His back arched and his hips bucked up to meet his hand as his moans became more and more desperate until finally, he came with a muffled shout, shuddering and panting through the aftershocks as he continued massaging his cock until it was too sensitive to touch.

He pulled his hand out of his pants with a wince and huffed out a quiet laugh. It'd been years since he'd come in his pants like a horny teenager. He definitely needed a shower now.

He trudged his way to the bathroom, depositing his sticky pants in the laundry on the way, and quickly hopped in the shower, turning it to cold the last minute or so as his thoughts began to wander again. He dried and dressed quickly, crossing the hall to knock on Clary's door but it was already open and her room was empty.

Jace frowned. Had she gone back downstairs for the pizza? He descended the stairs, turning into the kitchen and seeing the pizza box on the counter where he'd left it. He paused and listened. The house was quiet.

"Clary?" he called as he moved to the front room, knowing immediately he wasn't going to get an answer when he looked out the window. Her car was gone, and so was she.

**_/break/_**

Jace had paced for half an hour, picturing a dozen different scenarios in his mind of how this could go. It had almost been enough to talk himself out of it, but he knew it was something he needed to do. He needed to tell Clary how he felt about her, even if she didn't feel the same.

He was sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand when he heard her car alarm chirp in the driveway. He quickly downed the rest of his liquid courage and set the bottle on the table, straightening up and turning toward her as she walked in the door.

"We need to talk," he said, willing his voice not to shake.

She just shook her head at him.

"I'm sorry, Jace. I can't right now."

She started to walk past him but he stepped in front of her.

"Just listen then. I need to say this..."

_"Jace,"_ her voice broke as she looked up at him. "I _can't,_ okay? I know we need to talk, and we will, I promise, I just-"

She broke off, pressing her lips together and shaking her head.

"I can't handle it right now. I'm sorry."

She slipped past him and hurried up the stairs, leaving Jace standing there. He wasn't sure how much time passed before he pulled himself together and headed up the stairs himself. Her room was dark and quiet as he passed by, though the door was closed, not slightly ajar like it usually was. He shook the heavy feeling from his mind and entered his room, not bothering to undress before dropping down on the mattress and closing his eyes as he was claimed by restless sleep.

_**/break/**_

Clary woke unusually early the next morning. She huffed and rolled over, trying in vain to go back to sleep for a few minutes before accepting her fate and kicking the comforter off her bed with a groan. She brushed her hair and got dressed, grabbing her wallet and keys and making her way downstairs. Thankfully, the house seemed to be empty, Jace must not have returned from his morning jog yet. Not wanting to push her luck, she decided to grab coffee on the go, grabbing her jacket and slipping out the front door.

She drove around for an hour before finally pulling into Isabelle's driveway, knowing the brunette would likely murder her if she woke her up any earlier. As it was, she was pushing it.

Said cranky brunette answered the door in a huff, her messy chignon and bleary eyes doing nothing to take away from her natural beauty.

"What the _fuck,_ Clarissa?" Izzy growled, squinting her eyes in the bright morning sun.

Clary held up a Starbucks cup as a peace offering. Izzy continued to glare as she snatched the coffee, taking a long sip while leaning against her doorframe. Clary sighed playfully and held up a blueberry scone, Izzy's favorite.

"Okay, you can come in," she said as she snatched the scone and stepped aside to let Clary pass.

Clary giggled as she shucked her coat and shoes before making herself comfortable on Izzy's couch.

"Like you'd ever actually deny me entrance," she teased.

"Gotta make you earn it," Izzy grinned widely, taking another sip of her coffee and moaning.

Clary shook her head fondly.

"You're so predictable. All I gotta do is give you caffeine and sugar and you're my best friend."

"I'll be _anyone's_ best friend for five minutes if they give me caffeine and sugar," Izzy said, wiggling her eyebrows. "You, my dear, are my fucking soulmate."

"Yeah, well, see if you feel the same in a few minutes," Clary trailed off, her mood shifting as the real reason she came over becoming apparent. Izzy seemed to sense the shift as well, settling onto the couch facing Clary.

"Talk to me," she said, taking another sip of coffee.

"I met Sebastian for coffee last night," Clary admitted, wincing as Izzy choked on her drink. _"After_ I kinda had a moment with Jace..."

Izzy sputtered.

"Okay, you're gonna have to define _almost having a moment_ because last time we talked about Jace, you were drawing nudes after taking a shower with him..."

Clary made a face.

"Well, I kinda... um, _straddled_ him," she glared as Izzy choked back a laugh. "And we almost kissed..."

"Why didn't you?" Izzy prompted.

"The doorbell rang," Clary rolled her eyes as Izzy made no attempt to conceal her laughter this time.

"Saved by the bell," she giggled harder as Clary shoved her side.

"Clever, Iz, you come up with that on your own?" she sniped, sinking back into the couch cushions.

"Oh, come on, it was right there, I _had_ to," Izzy defended herself before clearing her throat and sitting up.

"So, tell me about Sebastian."

Clary groaned and dragged a pillow over her face.

"As much as I hate to say it, you were right," she sighed, her voice muffled by the pillow but she knew Izzy could hear her just fine.

"Right about what exactly?"

"I never should have met him," she admitted, bringing the pillow down to her lap. "I thought I needed the closure, to tell him to his face that it was done. I should have known it wouldn't be that simple."

"Well, did you say what you needed to say?"

"I think so, but I _definitely_ pissed him off..." Clary shivered, remembering the cold look in his eyes.

Isabelle sighed and scooted closer to Clary on the couch to wrap her arm over her shoulders.

"He's dangerous, Clary."

"I know..."

"You know but you still went to meet him! Clary, that boy _seriously_ fucked with your head!"

"I know, Iz! I know... I think it finally sunk in last night, too, when I was driving home. And then..." she cut herself off with a groan and buried her face in Izzy's shoulder.

"And then?" Izzy prompted.

_"Jace._ Jace was waiting for me when I got home, said he wanted to talk, but I just... couldn't. I knew what he wanted to talk about and no matter how that was gonna go, I was not prepared for it..."

"How do you want it to go?" Isabelle murmured, gently stroking Clary's hair.

"I'm in love with him," Clary blurted out, shocking both of them. "I'm in love with him and I'm terrified."

She couldn't hold back the tears, curling in on herself and sobbing into her friends shoulder as she held her tightly.

_**/break/**_

When Clary got home, it was past noon. She'd spent all morning talking out her feelings with Izzy and she knew now what she had to do. No matter how things between her and Jace were gonna go, she needed to be completely honest with him before they could move forward.

She went to her room and immediately changed into a long-sleeved tee and sweats. If she was gonna do this, she might as well be comfortable. She heard the door open as Jace came home as she was braiding her hair and her heart jumped into her throat.

_Breathe, just relax, you can do this,_ she thought to herself, taking a deep breath before turning and exiting her room.

She skipped quickly down the stairs, fueled by nervous energy as she stopped in the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of tequila and two glasses before making her way to the living room and making eye contact with a startled Jace.

"Ready to talk?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**CONTENT WARNING: GRAPHIC UPSETTING IMAGERY, MENTIONS OF PAST ABUSE**_

Isabelle sighed as she curled up on her couch, raising her wine glass to her lips with shaky fingers. She hadn't been feeling quite herself since she found out Sebastian had been contacting Clary again. Worse, the nightmares were back...

_Izzy groans as she stumbles down the red hallway, her entire body protesting every step._

_"Keep moving," she thinks. "I have to keep moving."_

_Panting, she drags herself forward, sobbing softly in relief as she tumbles into the bathroom, shakily locking the door behind her and sliding to the floor, not daring to turn the light on._

_"Clary..." she whispers, fingers fumbling in the dark to find her phone in her small purse, pulling up the redhead's number and pressing the phone to her ear._

_"Iz?"_

_"Clary," she whimpers, sniffling as she tries to hold back her tears. "Something's wrong..."_

_"Where are you?"_

_"Pandemonium. Clary, my head hurts..." she sniffles again, bringing her hand to her forehead and grimacing. She feels like her skull is full of concrete..._

_"I'm on my way, Iz. Stay awake, talk to me. Did you drink anything?"_

_"He gave me drinks," Izzy hears the slur in her voice and frowns. She definitely hasn't had enough to drink for that..._

_"Clary, hurry..." she whimpers, leaning her head against the wall._

"Iz... Izzy?"

Isabelle straightens her back, blinking up at Simon as he stands in front of the couch with a worried expression on his face.

"Sorry, I spaced out," she mumbled, shaking her head and smiling at him.

"You sure you're okay?" Simon asked, sitting next to her on the couch. "You seemed pretty deep in thought..."

"Just daydreaming," she said, pulling him closer for a quick kiss.

"Are you hungry? I was thinking of doing dinner."

Isabelle almost laughed at the look of fear that flashed over her fiance's face.

"Ordering in," she clarified, shaking her head at the obvious relief flooding his features.

**_/break/_**

Jace sat quietly on the couch, watching Clary as she poured herself a strong drink.

"Bit early in the day for that," he noted.

She just looked at him stonily.

"I've got shit to say and I'd rather not do it sober."

Jace just shrugged. He had absolutely no idea what was going on in her head and was a bit more reluctant to openly bare his heart then he had been last night.

"Do you remember the car accident I was in summer before last?" she asked suddenly.

Jace startled. Whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly hadn't been _that._

"Of course," he said, wondering where she was going with this.

"Sebastian was driving."

His eyes widened.

"Your _ex,_ Sebastian?" he asked.

"Yep," she replied bitterly, taking a sip of her drink. "And it wasn't an accident."

Jace leaned forward on his elbows, processing that.

"He was- I- hmm. Can you pour me one of those?"

Clary filled another glass and slid it toward him without saying a word. He took a healthy swallow before wiping his mouth and leaning back with his eyes closed.

"Explain," he said shortly, that one word revealing a portion of his barely controlled rage.

"Ridiculously long story short, I should have waited to break up with him until he wasn't driving my car, but I was worried if I didn't get it out while I could, I'd lose my nerve."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"He was _livid,"_ her voice trembled slightly and she paused to take another sip. "He said if he couldn't have me, no one could, and next thing I knew he was jerking the wheel... and I woke up in the hospital."

"And where was he?" Jace demanded.

"Jail," she stated hollowly. "I'd been drinking, so I didn't realize how loaded he was when I let him drive."

She swallowed hard as she looked at the floor.

"There was another car involved," she continued softly. "The driver was a 17-year-old girl. She didn't make it."

Jace's eyes widened. He hadn't known that.

"Clary..."

"All I wanted was to be free, to get away from him so he'd stop hurting me. And doing so cost an innocent girl her life."

_"No."_

Clary looked up at him, startled as he reached over and wiped away a tear she hadn't realized she shed.

"That girl's death is not your fault, Clary. It's_ his,"_ he spat the last word, his hatred of the man that he now knew had been hurting Clary unchecked. He'd never liked the guy, always thought he was a piece of shit; he hadn't known he was also _abusive._

Clary sniffed, straightening her back and taking another sip.

"Yeah, well, while I was healing in the hospital, he was being sentenced to a year in prison for vehicular manslaughter. His hotshot family lawyer managed to sweet-talk the DA into dropping the DUI charges, pretty sure money was involved there, and because the victim was a minor and her parents didn't want the publicity, there was no big trial, it wasn't even in the news. His lawyer got him placed in some cushy detainment center for the 'rich and famous.' Hardly a punishment. He basically got away with it," Clary was fuming now, her emotions getting the better of her as she ranted.

Jace slowly reached out to touch her arm.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

Clary just nodded.

"He got out of jail a couple of months ago. I had coffee with him last night."

Jace made a choked noise as he stared at her in disbelief.

"You don't need to tell me it was stupid, I know... I thought I needed the closure. Suffice to say, I was wrong."

"Did he hurt you?" Jace asked suddenly, his eyes blazing.

"No," she answered, looking startled. "No, not last night. I left before it came to that."

Jace sighed heavily.

"When you came home last night, you seemed..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say, but Clary nodded.

"Even when he's not violent, he's scary," she whispered, eyes gazing off into space as she lifted her glass to her lips again.

"But that's not all that happened last night," she continued, turning to look at him.

"No, it's not," he agreed. "Should we talk about that, too?"

"I'd like to," she said, biting her lip nervously.

Jace nodded, reaching across the table for the tequila bottle.

"I have a feeling we're gonna want this handy."

_**/break/**_

_Isabelle curls up in the corner, trying to shrink herself as small as possible._

_"Hold on, Iz, I'm almost there. Talk to me."_

_"It hurts," she whimpers, her mind registering a painful throbbing between her legs now that she'd stopped moving and her tired muscles were no longer screaming in protest._

_"What hurts, honey?"_

_Clary's voice sounds faint as Izzy gingerly touches her inner thighs, biting back the sob threatening to break free as she feels a warm, slick substance coat her fingers._

_"Everything... Clary... I think I'm bleeding..."_

_She hears Clary's breath hitch before quickening in pace, imagining the redhead starting to run._

_"I'm coming in the back, Iz, hang on."_

_Clary's voice betrayed her exertion as she closed the distance between her and Izzy and soon, Iz could her the small girl's rapid footsteps coming down the hall._

_"Clary..."_

_Izzy squinted as the overhead light momentarily blinded her, feeling herself being pulled into an upright position as Clary's frantic voice filled her ears._

_"Oh my god, Izzy!"_

Isabelle jerked awake with a gasp, quickly biting her lip to stifle any further sound. She glanced to her side to see Simon still sleeping soundly and sighed in relief, creeping out of the warm bed and grabbing her robe, pulling it on and she slipped out of the room and down the stairs.

In her kitchen, she set about making herself some tea, the familiar motions calming and soothing her. She'd been suffering from these nightmares for almost a year and a half now. The first time it had happened, she'd woken in the middle of the night screaming and inconsolable. Her mother had heard her cries while making some tea and brought it to her. From that night on, every time she had a nightmare, she could expect to find her mother in the kitchen with a pot of tea, and when she'd finally been able to stay alone again, she'd adopted the habit for herself.

She curled back into her favorite corner on the couch with her steaming mug and took a deep breath, wiping the stray tears that trailed down her cheeks away with a huff. She wasn't that scared little girl anymore, and she'd stopped crying for her a long time ago.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Brief A/N:_**

**_I just wanted to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone who's been following this story and I'm sorry my updates haven't been the most consistent, I'm working on making a proper upload schedule now that quarantine has left me with little else to do._**

**_While this was originally just a one-shot that I left open for potential smut, it's morphed into something else entirely. I have the majority of the plot mapped out, it's just a matter of details and whenever the muse decides to visit at this point._**

**_This is my first real multichapter fic and it honestly means the world to me that you guys are interested and engaged; truthfully, I might have given up on this fic after chapter one if not for all the support you guys have shown me._**

**_That said, I am a tad bit more protective of this story than my others. The sensitive content I write about is not something I take lightly. I don't want to be insensitive, but I also don't want to hold back my writing due to fear of offending someone. It's a delicate balance, but an important one to me, because as an abuse and trauma survivor myself, I want to do justice to Clary and Izzy's story._**

**_So please be patient, continue sending reviews (I love getting them), and let me know if you have any fic requests. I currently have a backlog of fics-to-write, but I promise, if I can work with the idea, I'll get to it eventually._**

**_Love and appreciate you all SO much,_**

**_Syd_**

* * *

Isabelle panted harshly, her fingers digging into Simon's shoulders while his hands gripped her hips tightly, guiding her movements as she rode him on the couch.

"Si... _Shit..."_ she gasped, her thighs burning as her rhythm began to falter the closer she got to her orgasm.

"I've got you, babe," he grunted.

Izzy collapsed against his chest, gasping and moaning as Simon took over, holding her still as he thrust up into her.

_"Fuck!"_ she bit out as she came hard, burying her face in his neck as her orgasm triggered his, his hips stuttering as he emptied himself into the condom.

They stayed that way for a moment, breathing harshly and gently caressing each other as their heart rates slowed. Finally, Izzy pulled back with a satisfied grin on her face, hissing slightly as she lifted herself off his lap and flopped back against the cushions as Simon disposed of the condom.

"Damn, babe, you soaked me," Simon laughed as he maneuvered himself behind her on the couch, carefully avoiding the wet spot she'd created.

Izzy just hummed happily, nuzzling against him and letting her eyes drift shut as Simon stroked her hair.

"So what brought that on?" he asked, kissing her temple gently.

Izzy shrugged, not wanting to think about the intense conversation she'd had with Clary yesterday morning. She'd been antsy and wound up ever since, so when Simon had surprised her by coming home for his lunch break, she'd seized the opportunity and straddled him on the couch.

"Do I need a reason to fuck my fiance's brains out?" she asked cheekily, smirking up at him.

Simon chuckled, his hand rubbing soft circles on her bare hip.

"No, but if there's anything you need to talk about..."

He fell silent as Izzy stiffened against him.

"I'm fine..." she said quietly.

"Iz..."

_"Please,_ Si..." she looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "I don't wanna talk about it. Not now... I haven't felt this good in days, I just..."

"Okay, baby, I understand," he rushed out, kissing her cheek placatingly.

Simon knew that Izzy had been having a rough time but he also knew not to push her. Isabelle was so strong and used to doing everything by herself, but if history had taught him anything, it was that she'd come to him when she was ready.

"I almost forgot," he said suddenly, sitting up on the couch to reach his pants, chuckling when Izzy whined in protest at the loss of his body heat.

"It better be a present," she grumbled, turning her face into the pillow.

Simon smirked and held out the small tube he'd picked up on his way home, his grin widening when Izzy squealed happily and sat up to accept the prerolled joint.

"I love you so much," she sighed happily as she placed it between her lips, accepting the lighter he was holding out for her and taking a deep hit.

"All better now?" he teased as she sprawled out over the couch.

Izzy just smiled as she let out a cloud of fragrant smoke.

"Perfect," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as he leaned back to lay down with her again.

**_/break/_**

Clary groaned softly as she came to, immediately realizing she wasn't in her bed before she opened her eyes.

"Hey..."

She tilted her face in the direction of the soft voice, relaxing as her foggy brain recognized it as Jace's.

"Hey," she croaked, grimacing as she noticed how dry her mouth felt.

With great effort, she forced her eyes open, noting that she was laying on Jace's chest.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Almost one in the afternoon..."

She nodded dumbly as she sat up, rubbing her hand over her face as she yawned, wincing at the slight pain in her skull.

"Guess I needed a nap," she quipped, her voice still rough from sleep.

"We both did."

Clary looked up at him, just now noticing his messy hair and the pillow imprint on his cheek as he stretched. _God,_ she wanted to kiss him...

The conversation they'd had the day before came flooding back bit by bit. They'd gotten day drunk; she'd told him about Seb and the accident, they'd talked about the almost kiss, and after lots of going round in circles, they'd both admitted to their feelings for one another. They hadn't done anything but talk, deciding to wait since neither of them wanted their first kiss to be overshadowed to their drunken heart to heart, instead continuing to drink and talk until they fell asleep on the couch.

It had been a good decision, but now Clary was anxious, wondering if his side of the conversation had been fueled by the tequila.

Her train of thought was broken when her stomach growled loudly, making them both laugh.

"How about that pizza?" Jace said, scooting into a seated position as he dragged a hand through his hair.

Clary just nodded as he stood and made his way to the kitchen, pulling the untouched box from the fridge and preheating the oven. She followed, pulling a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water before emptying in one long gulp, sighing in relief as it soothed her dry throat.

"Give it ten minutes, then we can watch a movie...?" Jace said, phrasing it as a question.

Clary nodded again before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist, nuzzling into his chest as he hugged her back, kissing the top of her head before asking,

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed quietly, hugging him tighter. "I'm okay."

They stayed that way until the oven timer beeped, startling them both. Jace pulled the pizza out, dividing it onto plates and leading her back to the living room.

Clary moaned softly as she bit into her pizza, not realizing until that moment just how hungry she was. She cleared her plate before Jace, setting it aside and leaning against him as they watched the movie Jace had put on.


	8. Chapter 8

_**CONTENT WARNING: GRAPHIC UPSETTING IMAGERY, ATTEMPTED ASSAULT, AND DEROGATORY LANGUAGE**_

_"Oh my god, Izzy!"_

_Clary dropped to her knees in the small bathroom, cringing in the sudden light as Magnus flipped the overhead lamp on._

_"Holy shit," Magnus muttered, eyes wide in shock as he dug his phone out of his pocket, Clary assumed to call 911._

_"Iz," Clary shuffled closer to the limp girls form, her movements unsure, not wanting to cause further harm._

_"Izzy, open your eyes," Clary pleaded, her voice cracking as she whipped her head around._

_"Magnus!" she called out desperately._

_"The ambulance is on its way, Biscuit," Magnus said tensely, squeezing her shoulder a little too hard in an attempt to reassure her._

_"Izzy, babe, open your eyes for me, okay?" she begged, her voice cracking._

_They both gasped as Isabelle turned her head slightly, muttering incoherently under her breath. Clary reached for Izzy's clammy hand, holding it tightly in both of hers._

_"Izzy, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my hand, okay?"_

_Clary practically held her breath until she felt a weak squeeze._

_"Oh, thank the Angel," she sobbed softly. "Izzy, the ambulance is coming, we're gonna get you help, okay?"_

_Another weak, fluttering squeeze, accompanied by a broken whimper of "stay..."_

_"I'm not going anywhere, Iz," she promised._

**_/break/_**

"Iz! Can you get the door, my hands are full!"

"Sure!" Isabelle shouted as she moved toward Clary's front door, swinging it open to reveal Alec and Magnus.

"I come bearing wine," the latter sang out, holding up a shopping bag.

"Uh uh," Izzy said sharply, pointing at Alec. "You, out. It's girl's night."

"Don't worry, I'm just dropping him off cuz I need the car. I'm designated driver tonight."

"So responsible," Magnus smirked, reaching up to plant a noisy kiss on his cheek before joining Clary in the kitchen.

"Hey uh..." Alec stepped closer and rubbed the back of his neck. "Can you just... keep an eye out for him tonight? He's been... I don't know... But I'm worried..."

"Do you think it's his depression again?" Izzy asked worriedly, glancing back to where her friends were talking and laughing in the kitchen.

"Maybe, but it seems... different... He keeps telling me not to worry, but..."

"But you wouldn't be you if you didn't worry," Izzy smirked, her eyes soft. "Don't worry. This is what girls nights are for. Getting drunk and spilling all your woes over pedicures."

Alec snorted.

"And that's my cue to leave."

"Not before I get my goodbye kiss," Magnus pouted as he rounded the corner, glass of wine in hand.

Alec grinned as he let his boyfriend pull him into a heated kiss, turning borderline filthy before Izzy broke them apart shouting,

"Sibling present! Knock it off!"

Alec flushed red but couldn't fully suppress the grin on his face as he backed up.

"Text me?" he called as he walked backward down the driveway.

"I'll sext you all night," Magnus practically purred.

"Okay! Bye!" Izzy rolled her eyes as she swung the door shut.

Clary laughed as she exited the kitchen, having caught the end of the conversation.

"Oh please, you'd love it if he weren't your brother," she cackled, clinking her glass against Magnus' as he raised it in appreciation.

"Well, he is, so it's gross, and I don't wanna hear it..." Izzy breezed by, snatching up the third glass Clary was holding out to her and downing it before refilling it and bringing the bottle with her to the living room.

"So," Izzy dropped onto the couch and eyed Clary pointedly. "What happened with Jace?"

Clary flushed as she sank on the couch opposite her friend and raised her glass to her lips to avoid answering.

"I'm sorry, what? Jace?" Magnus piped up, eyes darting between the two girls.

"That's right, you've been out of the loop," Izzy straightened up and patted the cushion next to her, Magnus eagerly dropping into the spot she'd indicated. "Clary has the hots for Jace."

"Izzy!" Clary cried indignantly.

"Please, like we all didn't see that one coming," Magnus rolled his eyes as he sipped his wine. "You two have been eye-fucking each other from afar as long as I've known you."

"Well, they've moved on from eye-fucking and moved onto showering together," Izzy stated matter-of-factly, easily dodging the pillow Clary tossed at her.

"Exc_use me?!"_ Magnus cried, looking offended. "Why did I not know this?! When _was_ this?!"

Clary just groaned, dropping her head back against the couch.

"I _never_ should have told you that, Iz..."

"Technically, you _didn't_ tell me, I saw you drawing him nude and pried it out of you."

Magnus whistled lowly.

"Still got that sketch?" he asked, earning glares from both girls. "Kidding!"

Clary scoffed and drained her glass before making grabby hands for the bottle.

"It was a little over two weeks ago," she admitted as Izzy pushed the bottle toward her so she could refill her glass. "When you and Alec crashed here after going to Hunter's Moon?"

Magnus thought for a moment. He remembered that night, he'd had his usual one too many martini's and Alec hadn't felt comfortable driving home given he'd had just as many beers, so they'd let themselves in to sleep in Jace and Clary's guest room, as they had many times before.

"So you're telling me you two got it on while Alexander and I were asleep downstairs? Naughty birds," he smirked.

"No! It... nothing happened! He woke up late for work and you were in the shower downstairs so he got in with me instead," Clary rambled, flushing brighter as Magnus just raised one delicate eyebrow at her.

"You gonna tell him the rest?" Izzy egged her on.

"I'd kinda wanted to leave Sebastian out of it, but thanks, Iz..." she grumbled.

Magnus choked on his drink.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian?!"

Izzy's eyes were round as she stared at Clary.

"I was referring to coming to the realization that you're in love with Jace, but yeah, that..." she shrugged, taking another healthy gulp of wine.

"Jesus fuck! I am _seriously_ out of the loop!" Magnus cried, slumping back against the cushions.

"In my defense, the majority of this went down in like, the last 3 days, okay?" Clary huffed, dragging a hand down the side of her face. "We're gonna need more wine..."

"Good thing I brought a six-pack," Magnus quipped, already standing to retrieve the much-needed alcohol from the kitchen.

**_/break/_**

Izzy jolted awake, her body immediately tensing until she remembered where she was, slowly relaxing as the sounds of Clary's breathing next to her soothed her frayed nerves. Slowly, as not to wake the sleeping redhead, she untangled herself from the blanket they were curled up under and made her way to the kitchen.

Magnus was already seated at the table when she walked in, only a flickering candle lighting the darkroom.

"Hey there," she said softly, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water and glancing at the clock. _3:48 AM_

"Hey," he returned, raising his own water bottle in mock salute before taking a sip. "Can't sleep, either?"

Izzy shrugged, taking the seat next to him and opening her bottle.

"Clary's still passed the fuck out," she chuckled slightly.

"She sleeps like the dead," Magnus nodded.

They fell silent for a while, drinking their water.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" Izzy asked.

Magnus looked up at her, smiling ruefully.

"Alec said something."

It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," she admitted. "He's worried..."

Magnus reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and raising it to his lips to kiss.

"He worries too much..." he mumbled, but his small smile was fond.

"What's going on, Magnus?"

He shook his head, taking another sip of his water.

"It's just... memories, I guess. Raphael wants me to come back to work."

"At Pandemonium?"

Magnus nodded, biting his lip.

"And you're... not ready?"

Magnus sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"I don't know..." he admitted, finally meeting her eyes. "I haven't been back since..."

He trailed off, but Izzy knew what he meant.

_"Hey, Magnus, sorry to bother you, but some guys are asking for you at the bar."_

_Magnus looked up from his desk at the young bouncer, Bat something, a new hire._

_"Did they give their names?"_

_"I don't think so. Raphael asked if he could do anything but they wanna talk to you."_

_Magnus sighed, pushing aside the paperwork he'd been working on._

_"That's quite alright, Bartholomew. Send them up."_

_The man nodded and ducked back out of sight. A few minutes later, his office door burst open and three angry-looking men walked in._

_"Can I help you gentlemen?" Magnus asked, raising one eyebrow._

_"You Magnus Bane?" one of them asked gruffly._

_"I am," he frowned as he stood from his desk. "Is there a problem?"_

_"Seems like it. We're here on behalf of our employer. He'd like to know why he was stopped at the entrance."_

_"And who is your employer?"_

_"Jonathon Morgenstern."_

_An icy chill went up Magnus' spine._

_"Mr. Morgenstern is __**very**__ aware of why he is no longer welcome in my club," Magnus said, his tone shaking with barely suppressed rage. "In fact, he should consider himself lucky my backrooms don't have cameras, or else he would be in __**prison**__."_

_The man smirked._

_"Well, he would personally like to thank whoever had the genius idea not to install them."_

_"A grave error in judgment that I assure you is being remedied," Magnus spat. "Now if you'll kindly get the hell out of my office, I'm late to meet my boyfriend."_

_He stepped around his desk as though to exit his office but swiftly had his path blocked by the other two men. The one who'd spoken before chuckled._

_"Yeah, that's not gonna work for us..." he said, taking a step closer._

_"Of course not," Magnus intoned dryly, inconspicuously pressing the silent alarm he'd purposely placed himself next to. "It's not as though I thought I was dealing with rational men, here."_

_The man swung, an enraged look on his face. Magnus swiftly ducked the blow, landing a sharp jab to his ribs as the man stumbled with the force of his throw. Magnus spun around quickly, intending to dodge the other two and dart out of his office, but when he grabbed the handle, it was locked._

_He was yanked backward before he could unlock it, one goon holding each of his arms as the first one straightened up, gingerly holding his ribs._

_"You're good," he grudgingly admitted. "But do the math, faggot. Three against one. You don't have a chance..."_

_The first blow was sudden and caught Magnus off guard. He groaned and yanked on his arms as the second one hit and he tasted blood._

_"Get him on the couch," he heard faintly, and then he was being dragged to the corner of his office and forced down on his back on the couch._

_His struggles increased when he noticed that he was opening his pants as he advanced on Magnus, his screams muffled by the large hand swiftly pressed over his mouth._

_"A bitch like you needs to be taught some manners," he growled, hooking his fingers into Magnus' waistband and roughly yanking._

_Magnus screamed as loud as he could, kicking and thrashing violently until his office door burst open and multiple security guards rushed in, quickly subduing the three men._

_"Magnus!"_

_His head shot up as his boyfriend rushed in, kneeling in front of him and pausing, unsure of what to do. Magnus made the choice for him, throwing his arms around the tall man and burying his face in his neck._

_"Alexander," he sighed in relief._

_"Are you okay?" Alec pulled back and winced. "Oh god, your face..."_

_"I'm alright, Alexander..." Magnus assured him even though he was still shaking, allowing him to pull him into another hug._

_"I'm alright..." he whispered as the tears began to fall._

Magnus shook himself out of his memories and wiped away the stray tear that had escaped without his notice. Izzy squeezed the hand she was still holding, not saying anything, letting him go at his own pace.

"I couldn't even drive by the club for months afterward..." he finally said, his quiet voice easily filling the empty room. "And so soon after what happened to you, it was just... too much. I couldn't associate it with anything but pain."

"Magnus, I understand, better than anyone, but that place is your baby... It was your dream and it's so much more than the bad things that happened to us there. That's not on you or your club, it's on the people who hurt us," Izzy said firmly, ignoring her own tears as they escaped.

"I just wish I could explain to Alec why it's so hard..."

"Why can't you?"

Magnus looked up at Izzy, startled.

"I ca- It isn't _just_ my story to tell," he whispered.

"Magnus," she breathed, shifting closer to wrap him in a hug. "Talk to him. It's okay. I may never be able to talk to my brother about what happened to me, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't know what you're going through."

Magnus opened his mouth to protest but Izzy cut him off.

"You're right, it _is_ my story, and I'm giving you permission to tell it. At least the parts that help tell yours. He's my brother and there are certain things I don't ever want him to know, for his own peace of mind, but he's your boyfriend... You should be able to rely on him and talk to him about what's bothering you, and I don't _ever_ want our friendship or the secrets I share with you to put a strain on your relationship."

Magnus' eyes were shining with tears by the time she finished. He opened his mouth a few times to speak, closing it when nothing came out. Izzy sipped at her water, waiting patiently for him to find the words.

"Well," he finally said, his voice rough with emotion. "You're way better with words than your brother..."

Izzy laughed softly at that.

"He tries," she grimaced playfully, leaning back into Magnus' arms and relaxing, the both of them enjoying the silence.

"Thank you, Isabelle," Magnus whispered after a long moment, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

_**/break/**_

The next couple of days went by in a blur, Izzy working almost constantly. She preferred it that way, if she was being honest, as it gave her little time to think, but after two nights in a row of restless sleep due to the nightmares, she was looking forward to her day off.

She sighed heavily as she walked in the house, kicking off her heels and leaving them on the floor as she trudged into the living room where Simon was already lounging on the couch.

"Hey babe," he greeted her, standing to give her a kiss.

"Hi," she groaned tiredly, dropping onto the couch.

"What is this, the third day in a row I've gotten home before you? They're working you pretty hard..." he said as he pulled out the dinner he'd made and put a plate in the microwave for Izzy.

"Just settling into my new job description," she sighed without opening her eyes. "I wanted this promotion, and that includes all the extra hours that come with it. It'll ease up once I'm used to it, but until them, the pay raise makes it all worth it."

Simon hummed, settling back onto the couch and handing her the plate. Izzy ate quickly, starving since she'd accidentally skipped lunch. She put her empty plate on the table and leaned back into Simon's waiting arms, letting him play with her hair until she dozed off.

_**/break/**_

_"So soft..."_

_"C' mere, pretty girl..."_

_"Where you going, baby?"_

_"Fuck, she's hot like that..."_

_"Ah-ah, no running, sweet thing..."_

_"__**Behave**__ yourself..."_

Isabelle whimpered and thrashed her head slightly as she woke up, feeling a hand close around her wrist and yanking away, swiping wildly with her other hand.

"Izzy! Iz, calm down!"

She froze, forcing her bleary eyes open to see Simon, still sitting next to her on the couch, a concerned look in his eyes and an angry scratch across his cheek.

"Simon," she gasped, tears starting to stream down her face. "Simon, I'm so sorry..."

"Shhh, it's okay," he assured her, gently taking her hand and kissing it.

Izzy's face crumpled as she leaned into his chest and sobbed.

"I've got you," he whispered, pressing a kiss into her hair and rubbing her back. "You're okay, _mariposa,_ you're safe..."

Izzy felt a rush of warmth at the nickname and she nuzzled into his torso, her fingers tightly clutching his tee shirt as her erratic breathing started to slow.

"That's it, just breathe... I'm here, love, you're safe..."

_**/break/**_

Izzy breathed slowly, in through her nose, out through her mouth, repeating the calming action as she drove. She hadn't planned on leaving the house on her day off, intending to sleep in until noon and then watch movies in her pajamas, but she'd quickly grown restless and decided to go for a drive.

The nightmares had been coming more frequently lately, almost every night, and last night she'd woken Simon up with her thrashing. Toughing it out wasn't working. She needed to do something different.

About half an hour into her drive, she noticed she was no longer driving aimlessly, recognizing where she was with a start. _Well,_ she thought to herself as she signaled to turn onto the familiar street, _that's different..._

Izzy pulled herself out of her thoughts as she pulled up to the large house, gladly noting the other car in the driveway. Trudging up the front steps, she rang the doorbell, exhaling hotly into her hands to warm them against the cold air. She heard footsteps behind the door and rearranged her features into a smile as the door opened.

"Isabelle!" the older woman exclaimed happily, pulling her into a hug.

"Hi, mama," Izzy sighed in relief as she hugged her mother tightly.


	9. Chapter 9

_Isabelle woke up screaming, thrashing against the blankets that had wrapped themselves around her legs in her sleep. Her head jerked up at the sound of footsteps, her door opening and the hall light flooding into her room._

_"Isabelle! Isabelle, calm down, you're okay..."_

_She forced her bleary eyes to focus on the shadowy figure in front of her._

_"Mama...?" she sobbed, clutching at her chest as she drew shallow breaths._

_"Ssshhh sweetheart, you're okay. Breathe with me, baby, just like me," Maryse spoke softly, taking exaggerated deep breaths through her nose and blowing them out, taking Izzy's hand in hers as she tried to match the pace._

_"That's it, baby, in and out, just like that..."_

_She rubbed her thumb gently over her daughter's hand as her breaths started to even out, reaching her free hand to wipe the tears streaming down her face._

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you..." Izzy forced out between sobs._

_"Don't be sorry, sweetheart. Don't ever be sorry for needing me, that's what I'm here for."_

_Maryse stroked Izzy's hair gently as she leaned on her shoulder, softly singing a lullaby Izzy recognized._

_"You haven't sung that since I was a little girl," she whispered, sniffling._

_"You'll always be my little girl," Maryse murmured into her hair, continuing to rub her back and sing softly until Izzy stopped crying._

_"Here, sweetheart, drink this," she said, leaning to grab the steaming mug she'd set on the nightstand._

_"When did you make tea?" Izzy asked._

_"I was already up."_

_Izzy just nodded, inhaling the soothing scent wafting from the mug, the steam calming her slightly._

_"Will you stay with me?" she whispered._

_"Of course, sweetheart. As long as you need me, I'm here."_

It was funny, Izzy thought, they hadn't always had the best relationship, especially when she was growing up. Maryse had been strict and critical, and Izzy had rebelled. It wasn't until after her _incident_ (Izzy didn't like calling it an attack, she _wasn't_ a victim) that she'd seen the soft, maternal side of her that she'd craved as a child, staying with her and taking care of her when she couldn't bear to be alone in the following weeks.

"Come in, sweetheart, it's freezing out here! Where are your gloves?"

Izzy smiled genuinely at her mother's fussing.

"I haven't unpacked my winter things yet, mama, it's only October," she said as she followed Maryse to the kitchen, where she already had a pot of tea going. "Did you know I was coming?"

"Oh, I'm always prepared for one of my babies to drop by," Maryse smiled as she pulled two mugs out of the cupboard.

Izzy took her jacket off and draped it over the back of a chair, making a mental note to come to see her mother more often.

"So to what do I owe this impromptu visit? How's work? How's Simon?"

Izzy laughed at her mother's enthusiasm, gratefully accepting the warm mug she was handing her.

"Simon's good, work is, well, work..." she trailed off, smirking at her mother's knowing chuckle.

She took a sip of the tea, humming contentedly as it warmed her from the inside.

"I just wanted to see my mama," she said softly, shrugging.

Maryse smiled softly, reaching across the table to take her hand.

"Well, I am always happy to see you, my love."

She looked like she was about to say something else when a knock sounded from the front door.

"Goodness, I'm popular today!" she winked at Isabelle as she stood from the table and headed for the door.

Izzy took another sip of her tea as she heard her mother excitedly greeting whoever was at the door, the voices getting louder. She looked up to see her mother re-enter the kitchen with Alec.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" she stood to greet him, kissing his cheek before sitting back down as their mother busied herself making another cup of tea.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing," he said, settling in next to her.

She just shrugged and sipped her tea.

"So, I talked to Magnus," he said quietly.

Izzy raised her eyebrow at him.

"And?" she asked cautiously.

"He... told me about Pandemonium. How he was the one, he and Clary, who found you, and he'd been thinking about it..."

Izzy looked down and the table, biting her lip.

"I won't make you talk about it, I just wanted to make sure you're okay, too..."

She smiled softly at her big brother, reaching under the table to squeeze his knee reassuringly.

"I am now," she said, glancing over to the stove, where Maryse was still standing.

Alec's eyes brightened in understanding and he returned her smile.

"Done whispering now?" Maryse's voice cut in, making them both startle as she set Alec's mug down with a smirk.

"Just checking in with each other," Alec said smoothly, winking at his sister. Izzy hid her grin behind her mug.

"Well, speaking of checking in, how is everything? It's so rare I have you both to myself, I want _all_ the gossip."

Alec fidgeted in his seat, immediately drawing the attention of both Lightwood women.

"Alec?" Izzy asked, her sibling senses alerting her that something was up.

"What is it, darling?" Maryse asked, setting her own mug down and giving him her full attention.

"Well, actually... I have to ask you something, _both_ of you, so it's good you're here, Iz..." Alec took a deep breath.

"I wanted to ask you for the family ring, mom. I'm gonna ask Magnus to marry me."

The kitchen descended into chaos, chairs scraping on the floor and squeals of delight mingling as both women launched themselves into his arms, flustering the man even further.

"Oh my god, Alec, that's amazing! Wait, what did you need to ask _me?"_ Izzy practically let out in one breath.

"I was gonna ask you to be my best man, you know, if he says yes..."

"Of course he's gonna say yes, are you kidding?" Maryse cried out, tears of joy filling her eyes. "Oh, my baby boy is getting married!"

"'m not a baby, mom..." Alec mumbled despite the grin on his face.

"You're _my_ baby," Maryse argued, wrapping her arms around both her children tightly, much to their protests. "My babies..."

_**/break/**_

"You're staring."

"Am not."

"Are, too."

Jace huffed as he spun his chair around in a circle, pointedly ignoring Clary's amused grin as she hunched over a sketch on her desk.

"How would you even know? You haven't looked up from your desk in like, twenty minutes..." he complained.

"I can feel your eyes on me and it's wildly distracting," Clary snipped back, shading a corner with her thumb.

"Oh, is it?" Jace perked up, slowly moving his chair toward her.

Clary kept her eyes on her sketch until Jace was practically right on top of her desk.

"Jace," she leaned back in her chair and smiled at him, amused. "I have to _work."_

"Work later," he said, standing from his chair and lifting Clary out of hers, looping his arms around her waist and depositing her onto the couch as she squealed and giggled.

He kissed her lazily, carefully settling his weight on top of her, being mindful not to crush her. He shuddered suddenly when her nails found a sensitive spot on his neck. She smiled against his lips, kissing him gently once more before moving her mouth to that same spot and nibbling.

"Fuck," he groaned, his eyes sliding shut. "Have I mentioned what a fantastic idea this couch was?"

"Mhm. I put it in here with exactly this in mind," she returned, still nibbling his neck.

"Oh yeah?" he grinned, amused.

"Yep. Specifically, naps, reading, and spontaneous makeout sessions with my roommate turned boyfriend," she laughed.

"Boyfriend, huh?" he pulled back to bump her nose with his. "I like the sound of that."

Clary flushed slightly, half-heartedly whacking him in the arm with a throw pillow.

"Does that mean I can call you my girlfriend?" he whispered as he kissed along her jawline.

"Keep doing that and you can call me anything you want," she moaned, tilting her head back to give him more space to work.

"How about my boo thang?"

"Anything but that," she deadpanned, giving him an unimpressed look.

Jace burst out laughing, burying his face in Clary's neck as she too began to giggle. He loved that he could goof around and laugh with her, even in the middle of making out. He'd never been able to do that with any of the other girls he'd been with, which was why he'd never really been much for relationships before. With Clary as his girlfriend, it felt more like having a best friend that he could make out with.

"What are you thinking about?"

Clary's soft voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"You," he said honestly, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Flatterer," she giggled.

They fell silent as the kiss deepened, Clary's hands finding their way into Jace's hair while he gripped her hips tightly. This wasn't new territory for them anymore, though it still thrilled them both, and they moved comfortably against each other.

"Jace..." she panted softly as his hand slipped under the front of her shirt, palming her breast and gently thumbing her nipple.

"This okay?" he whispered, his lips barely brushing hers.

Clary nodded and pulled his mouth back to hers, kissing him fiercely as her knees moved to anchor his hips. Her hands tugged at the hem of his shirt until he pulled it over his head, briefly detaching their lips before diving back in.

"Is this..." Clary broke off with a small gasp as Jace's lips traveled across her jaw and down her throat. "Is this going where I think it is?"

_"God,_ I hope so," Jace growled into her neck, making her giggle.

"Then we need to move."

Jace's head shot up to stare at her in disbelief.

"Our first time is _not_ happening on this couch," she said firmly, pushing herself up onto her elbows.

"And I don't have any condoms in here," she added in response to his unmoved expression.

At that, Jace reared onto his knees, pulling her up with him as he stood from the couch, her surprised giggles echoing in his ear as her legs hastily wrapped around his waist.

"I can walk, you know," she chided, but she didn't sound too bothered as she leaned in to nibble his earlobe, nearly making him stumble.

He swatted her butt firmly in retaliation, growing harder in his jeans as she moaned softly and pushed back against his hand.

"Fuck, Clary," he hissed under his breath as he reached the stairs, tightening the hand still on her ass slightly. She seemed to understand, releasing his ear from her teeth and leaning her forehead against his shoulder instead as he climbed the stairs.

He decided to go to his room since it was closer. Slowly, he lowered Clary down to the bed, not separating their bodies as he did. Her eyes shone in the dim room as she looked at him, her hand reaching out to trace his jaw. He captured her hand in his, kissing her fingertips gently before leaning down and settling over her completely.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked softly, their lips barely brushing.

_"Yes,"_ she breathed, her hands clutching at her shoulders as her chest heaved. "I want you so much..."

That was all Jace needed to hear. Their lips met heatedly as her fingers found their way into his hair, tugging slightly as Jace gripped her hips and ground his denim-covered erection against her. She whimpered into his mouth and bucked up at the feeling, knowing she had already soaked through her leggings.

"Jace, please..."

His fingers curled into her waistband and pulled the thin material down and off her legs, leaving her in just her thong and tee. She sat up to pull the shirt over her head then laid back and watched as he opened his jeans and pushed them off his hips before reaching into his nightstand for a condom.

"No underwear?" she asked cheekily.

"Not a fan," he grinned as he rolled the condom on.

"Not complaining," she returned his grin as he moved closer to her on the bed.

Clary shifted on her back until she was comfortable, a sudden flutter of excitement filling her belly as it sunk in, this was actually going to happen... Jace hovered over her, dropping soft kisses across her chest and down her abdomen, tugging her thong over her hips and down her legs as she shivered under his touch. He spread her thighs carefully, dragging his fingertips through her wet folds almost reverently.

_"Jace..."_ she swallowed past the lump in her throat as their eyes met, her breath hitching as he slowly moved over her until they were face to face.

"Ready?" he whispered.

She nodded, then hissed as he slowly pushed into her, her eyes rolling back slightly as she stretched to accommodate his size.

_"Fuck..."_ she whimpered, tossing her head back.

Jace nodded in _complete_ agreement, his fingers curling tightly into the sheets as he struggled not to just bury himself in her tight, wet heat. Their panting breaths mingled as his hips slid forward slowly, both of them groaning in unison when he finally bottomed out.

Clary curled her fingers into Jace's hair tightly as she tried to catch her breath. She hadn't slept with anyone in over a year and Jace was _much_ bigger than her vibrator; coupled with the ball of emotion slowly swelling in her chest, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Hey..." Jace said softly.

Clary lifted her head to look at him.

"You okay?"

She nodded slowly, breathing deeply through her nose as she relaxed. This was Jace; this was okay.

"Just..." she paused as she shifted against him. "Go slow?"

Jace nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he started to slowly pull out. Clary was petite and he was, well... _gifted._ He knew he needed to be gentle with her.

Clary's breathing came out in soft gasps as he moved in slow, steady strokes, feeling when her body relaxed around him and was ready for more. Changing the angle slightly, he sped up his thrusts, relishing the sweet moans he was drawing from her as she wrapped her legs around him and began moving her hips with his.

"Shit, Clary," he hissed, dropping his forehead to hers as their fingers laced together on the pillow, not breaking eye contact as he thrust harder and faster than before.

Clary cried out as Jace began hitting her g-spot with precision, not even having the presence of mind to be embarrassed about being so close to coming this soon.

"Sh-shit..." she stuttered, gasping as she struggled to form words. "Jace, I.. I'm..."

"You gonna come, baby?"

Clary nodded frantically, her eyes rolling back in her head as she raced toward her peak.

"Come on, come for me, Clary," Jace gasped as he felt her begin to pulse around him.

Clary's lips fell open in a soundless cry as her breath caught in her throat and her back arched, her orgasm hitting her like a freight train as she shook and spasmed in his arms. Finally, she drew in a ragged gasp, slumping back against the pillows as her eyes rolled in bliss.

"Fuck..." she gasped, still clutching his hand for dear life. "Ohh fuck, I think I'm still coming..."

Jace smirked and began thrusting again, moaning when Clary pulled his hair with her free hand.

"Shit shit shit," she whimpered, moving her hips with his, her post-orgasm sensitivity making everything feel insanely heightened.

Jace buried his face in Clary's shoulder, overwhelmed. This was perfect, _she_ was perfect, the girl he'd loved for so long,_ finally._ He groaned as he felt himself getting closer to his orgasm; he wanted Clary to come again first.

Straightening up, Jace pulled Clary's leg up over his hip, changing the angle, and rested his weight on the hand still entwined with hers.

"Shit!" she squealed as he hit her g-spot again, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Shit, I'm gonna come again!"

"Fuck," he growled as his thrusts started getting sloppy. "I'm right behind you, babe, come, fucking come for me!"

They both screamed as they came, Clary squeezing his hand tightly as she melted into him, letting her mind go fuzzy as she floated down, humming contentedly as she vaguely registered him slipping out of her and rolling to the side. The mattress shifted as it lost his weight and she whimpered, reaching blindly for him.

"I'm right here, babe," he said, kissing her forehead as he climbed back onto the bed after disposing of the condom.

Clary gladly turned into his arms, letting him hold her close as she began to shiver slightly.

"Here," he whispered as he pulled a blanket over them, laying down more comfortably and letting her rest her head on his chest.

"That was perfect," she mumbled, nuzzling against his chest as he rubbed her back.

Jace made a soft noise of agreement and held her tighter, both of them slipping into a comfortable sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Quick update for everyone who's been kind enough to keep track of this story.

My laptop bit it and I lost all of my work, on this story and others. I'm working on saving up enough money to get it looked at (and hopefully recover my files) but until then, I wanted to let you all know that I haven't abandoned this story!

I'll keep working on new chapters and I promise to get them uploaded as soon as I possibly can. Thanks so much for your patience and support.

-Syd


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